FARM WORK FOR FEBRUARY

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 74, Issue 1, 15 January 1947, Page 47

FARM WORK FOR FEBRUARY

By

the Fields Division

PASTURES

Autumn-sown Grass — for autumn sowing should have been purchased by now. The purity and germination should be known before any seed is purchased. Remember that vendors of Certified seed should have certificates covering officially-drawn samples and. showing the purity and germination of each line held by them for sale. Second growth which has been chopped and thoroughly dried should be fired before the autumn rains commence, and generally February is the best time to fire it. It is important to burn the material when it is thoroughly dry so that a clean burn is obtained. Sowing need not be carried out immediately after burning (although a better cover of the seed is obtained), but may be delayed, if thought advisable, till later when the autumn rains are heavier. Sowings of Italian ryegrass in the South Island for winter feed production should be continued this month. With colder soils and in colder climates autumn sowings should take place as early as' possible and many advocate sowings to permanent grass in late February under such conditions. The seed-bed for autumn sowings to grass should be fine and firm.

Pasture Management Paspalum fields that are getting out of hand should be mowed if they -cannot be controlled by stock. The alternative is to close one of the fields for a late growth of hay or silage, preferably the latter in view of the chance of adverse climatic conditions at harvesting time.

Topdressing and Liming—Topdressing for autumn and winter growth of grass should be commenced this month. Fields which are intended for shutting up for winter production for early-calving cows should be topdressed early, and should contain a high percentage of ryegrass. Lime should be applied before wet conditions interfere with cartage and application.

Harvesting of Clover February is usually the month for harvesting white clover. Crops should be watched closely for their readiness for harvesting and this is indicated when the seed can be rubbed from most of the clover heads by hand. After cutting the material it is safer to stack it and leave it for a month before threshing. If the crop has been cut at a later stage or when dead ripe, it may be harvested straight away or after a short period to permit thorough drying and hardening of the seed. Extreme care should be taken throughout all operations to prevent loss of seed.

HAY AND SILAGE

Hay and silage stacks should be properly fenced off from stock. If tracks from silage pits are metalled during dry weather, a well-consolidated road with a proper camber to shed rain water can be made quite easily. If left till later when conditions become muddy, the work is much more difficult and the result is not satisfactory.

LUCERNE

The third cutting of lucerne from old stands is. usually made during this month. As the weather is then usually hot and dry, the crop can be harvested with little fear of being spoiled by rain. However, the crop should be frequently turned to prevent the hot sun from bleaching and withering the leaves, which may drop off, leaving little but stalks to harvest. The leaves are the best part of the plant and therefore great care should be exercised in harvesting lucerne, particularly in hot, sunny weather. Bare patches in old stands may be cultivated and sown with red clover to prolong the useful life of the stand. Young stands of lucerne will now have recovered from the first cut and it is usually better not to make a second cut so that growth is undisturbed over the winter.

CEREAL GREENFEEDS

Surplus maize and millet greenfeed may be. converted into silage, or the latter into hay. Plough vacant land for greenfeed crop sowing in March. In the South Island sow barley now for feeding during early winter onward and sow oats for winter and early spring feed, both these crops being sown at about 2 bushels to the acre. In the North Island sowings of barley or oats for greenfeed are not usually commenced till March. The land should be ploughed by now and cultivated in the next few weeks. The seed-bed should be fine and firm below and somewhat rubbly on top.

ROOT AND CRUCIFEROUS CROPS

Sowings of soft turnips in milder parts of the North Island may be made this month for provision of winter feed. Unless sown with pasture, rape areas as they are finished should be disced to cut up the stalks and to loosen the packed soil surface before ploughing for the next crop, which may be autumn-sown wheat or pasture.

POTATOES

Digging of potatoes will now be in full progress throughout the North Island. In digging potato crops, particularly in certain districts in the

North Island, a watch should be kept for the potato moth, which lays its eggs in the eyes of the tubers. If the moth is about, the potatoes should be picked up immediately after digging.

CEREALS FOR GRAIN AND CHAFF

Plough this month for autumn sowings of barley and oats for grain. See that stacks of cereals are properly protected from the weather and plough a few furrows round them to protect them from fire, particularly those adjacent to railway lines.

Harvesting of cereals and peas will still be in full progress. Last month’s notes briefly outlined stages for cutting cereal .and pea crops.

STOCK

Now that the milk supplies are dwindling, food for -pigs should be supplemented by available feeding crops such as green maize.- If at all possible it is better, to finish off pigs during the autumn than to winter them through as stores. As rape areas become ready for them lambs should be weaned first on to short, fresh, good-quality, grass or greenfeed, if available, and then on to the rape with a run-off on grass. The rape should be carefully watched, because it is best fed at the light-blue stage, when it is more easily digested, than at the dark-green or light-green stage.

Shearing of lambs is usually carried out this month. Surplus ewes should be sold and new lines of ewes and rams purchased The tupping season commences soon in many flocks in the North Island, and breeding ewes should be flushed two weeks beforehand. If rape, is not available, a change on to fresh greenfeed or young growth of grass is advisable. Dipping should take place at least two weeks before mating.

Dairy cows should receive ample supplies of succulent feed such as maize, soft turnips, millet, and silage, to make up for the dry condition of the pasture, which is common at this time of the year. To prevent taint in milk it is probably preferable to feed turnips at a young stage. The turnips should be pulled and the . maize cut and carted to the stock. Such crops are too valuable to permit wasteful feeding methods. Weaned calves should rotate around the farm ahead of the milking herd.

GENERAL

During dry weather gateways, bog holes, and crossings should be filled and metalled. Such areas should be well filled so that the raised surface sheds water and does not retain it and become boggy again.